WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) released the following statement after the House passed the final six appropriations bills for fiscal year 2024.

“Although this appropriations package is not perfect, I voted in favor after the removal of the most extreme Republican agenda items and the preservation of key Democratic priorities. This package completes the funding of the federal government for fiscal year 2024 and moves one step closer to preventing the possibility of a government shutdown.

“I take the threat of a government shutdown and the harm it would inflict on Nevadans seriously. I am especially glad to see the inclusion of support for service members and their families, protections for women’s reproductive rights, funding for climate and energy initiatives, investments in primary and secondary education, and assistance for border security. As with the previous funding bill, the government will be remaining open only after more Democrats than Republicans voted to pass this package."

Background:

The remaining six bills fund Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; the Legislative Branch; and State and Foreign Operations.

The bill includes several policy provisions Rep. Titus fought to secure, including:

• $4 million for UNLV’s National Supercomputing Institute to support a high-performance computing environment across the Nevada System of Higher Education which will help enhance cybersecurity.
• Language elevating the use of major construction codes for building resiliency in Nevada following disasters.
• Oversight for the implementation of the PAW Act, legislation Rep. Titus introduced and was signed into law which created a working group at FEMA to review best practices and current Federal guidance related to the sheltering and evacuation of pets throughout the emergency management process.
• Provisions for reducing passport and visa backlogs in order to ensure greater international travel and tourism to places like Las Vegas.

Several of Rep. Titus’s priorities were also included in today’s government funding package:

• $1 billion increase above FY23 levels for childcare and Head Start to increase access to quality childcare.
• $120 million increase above FY23 funding levels for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health.
• $100 million increase above FY23 funding levels for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research.
• $1 billion increase in climate change and resilience activities at the Department of Defense.
• Rejection of Republican cuts to critical education programs, which saves 224,000 teachers’ jobs and protects Job Corps as well as more than 20 K-12 and higher education programs.
• Blocking 10 Republican riders to limit women’s reproductive health, including the preservation of funding for Title X family planning.
• 12,000 more Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who assisted the United States.

On March 6, 2024, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 which covered the first six of twelve government funding bills. It also included over $19 million Rep. Titus secured for Southern Nevada and several key priorities.

The package now moves to the Senate for passage before going to President Joe Biden for signature into law.

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